Metal box



Oct. 25, 1932. MORAN 1,884,107

METAL BOX Filed March 18. 1930 INV2TOR 2* )ZM Liv? ATTORNEYS I PatentedOct. 25, 1932 I UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH F. MORAN, OFWATERIBURY, CONNECTICUT, A SSIGNOR TO SCOVILL MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY,OF WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT METAL BOXApplication filed March 18, 1930. Serial No. 436,677.

' meeting edges of the box when closed be very thin, these boxes beingcommonly known as of the knife-edge type. As the metal of these boxes islight and where the box is a thin edge box there is very little space atthe edge,

, difliculty has been experienced in producing a catch constructionwhich will hold these boxes closed and which can be operated in thissmall space, and which will be sufliciently strong to withstand theconstant use to which 2 such boxes are given, and furthermore as theseboxes have heretofore been constructed the catch required considerablespace to operate.

It is the especial object of the present in- 5 vention to produce animproved catch construction particularly adapted for thin-edge boxeswhich will take up little room so that it can be used with boxes havingvery thin edges.

A further object of the invention is to produce a very thin fiat metalbox of attractive appearance and of few parts so that it can be easilyand economically produced and assembled.

With these and other objects not specifically referred to in view, theinvention consists in certain novel parts, arrangements and combinationswhich will be described in connection with'thetaccompanying drawv ingand the novel featurespointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top view of the box embodying theinvention, the parts being shown .5 closed;

Figure 2 is a view of the box shown in F igure 1, the parts being shownopen;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 38 of Figure 1and on a some,- what larger scale, and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view, partly broken away, taken on theline H of Figure 2.

Referring now to this drawing, the box selected to illustrate theinvention is a two part metal box embodying a body and a cover which.meet in a thin edge, and the box shown s capacitated to hold cigarettes.It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable toother objects of difierent shapes and capacitated to hold otherarticles, such as cosmetics. The box shown, however, includes a body 1and a cover 2, made of light thin metal and so arranged that. whenclosed the edges of the box meet in a thin edge, as indicated at 3, soas to produce a very flat container. These parts are associated on ahinge conveniently formed by bending over parts of the metal of thecover and body to form hinge-knuckles a, which are united by a pintle 5,and if desired this pintle may be provided with a spring 6 so that thebox will open quickly and readily.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a catch device ofimproved cona catch is very limited. \Vhile this catch mechanism may beof various constructions,

it will include a catch member of resilient struction which takesuplittle space in the metal, which is so arranged that the pressure 7spring member to be used to give the required resiliency and play, andat the same time requires but aslight play of the parts to release thecatch when the box is closed.

While this spring member may be of various constructions, in the bestform such mem ber will also have formed integrally therewith thethumb-piece by which it is operated. In the particular constructionshown the body of the box has secured therein a spring strip catch,which is clearly shown in Figure 2, arranged flatwise so that thepressure is through the wide dimension of the member. This spring catchhas secured thereto, preferably integrally, a finger-piece 8 whichprojects through a slot 9 in the wall 10 of the box, this being providedto operate the catch. The member also has formed integrally therewith acoiled over portion 11 forming a hook or catch which cooperates with apart of the cover hereinafter referred to.

This spring member may be held in the box in any suitable manner. In theparticular construction illustrated, the front wall of the body 1 isturned over, adjacent each end, to form loops 12, 13, in which the endsof the strip 7 freely ride. The strip is held in spaced relation fromthe bottom of the box by a pair of lugs or feet 14, 15, which rest onthe bottom of the box.

The top of the box is formed with a latch, with which the catch or hook11 cooperates. This latch is conveniently formed by turning in the metalof the front wall 16 of the cover to form a U shaped member having legs17, 18 and a connecting web 19. Nhen the parts are closed the hook 11catches under the web '19, as shown in Figure 3, and securely holds theparts in position. To open the box it is simply necessary to exert aslight inward pressure on the finger-piece 8, which frees the hook fromthe latch.

While the invention has been shown and described in its preferred form,it will be understood that it is not to be restricted to the type of boxshown, nor to the exact form of spring catch member, but that certainchanges and variations may be made in these parts without departing fromthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. In a box, a body and a cover, a hinge pivotally uniting these parts,a spring catch on one of these parts and a cooperating latch on theother, said catch comprising a flat strip of spring metal positioned inthe box with its fiat sides disposed horizontally and substantiallyparallel with the plane of the box, bearings on each side of the box inwhich the ends of the strip are freely secured, lugs formed on the stripadjacent the catch to space it from the bottom of the box, and a fingerpiece for manipulating the catch.

2. In a box, a body and a cover, a hinge pivotally uniting these parts,a spring catch on one of these parts, and a cooperating latch JOSEPH F.MORAN.

